Daily Pilot High School Athlete of the Week:

Danny Busch knows what it’s like to be on his back, with the weight of the world on top of him.

But now, thanks to nearly four years of dedication, the Corona del Mar High senior frequently subjects opponents to the same plight on the wrestling mat.

“He has a style that has made some kids absolutely lay down and quit this year,” CdM Coach Gary Almquist said of the 152-pound Pacific Coast League champion, who has worked his way from whipping boy to CIF title contender. “He broke them. He took them down so much, they finally laid on their back and let him pin them. As a wrestler, that’s better than just pinning someone. He not only pinned them, he broke them.”

Busch, 36-4 heading into the CIF Southern Section Coastal Division tournament Friday and Saturday in Whittier, has also broken the school record for takedowns, employing a relentlessly aggressive style popularized by legendary Olympic champion and longtime University of Iowa Coach Dan Gable.

“My philosophy,” Busch said, “is to not only try to beat guys in every match, but to break them. I also try to break myself and outdo myself with each performance.”

It’s a philosophy forged by humility, and an athletic past cluttered with frustration.

Busch said he turned to wrestling as a ninth-grader, basically as a last resort.

“I sucked at every other sport,” said the 5-foot-10 Busch. “I was really bad. My main goal was to score a goal or get a point. But I was not blessed. I literally tried every sport before wrestling and had not gotten any results.”

Those results weren’t immediately forthcoming on the mat, either.

“The thing that Danny Busch had that not many freshmen do, is that he would wrestle guys tougher than him,” Almquist said. “We had a group of six or seven juniors and seniors that year in the upper-weight classes who were pretty tough. And Danny went to the wall with every single one of them.”

Busch said he definitely took his lumps, in practice and otherwise, his first couple years at CdM.

“As a freshman, I couldn’t even wrestle varsity,” Busch said. “And I don’t remember winning many [at the junior varsity level]. Then, I wrestled varsity as a sophomore, and that didn’t go so well, either.”

Busch was, however, hungry to learn and pestered Almquist about what off-season activities might help propel him to greater success.

“I took four wrestlers to Minnesota in the summer [of 2007] to work on my parents’ farm,” Almquist said. “Danny begged to go, but I told him I didn’t take freshmen. But he begged and begged, so I would up taking him.

“The next summer, he went to J Robinson Intensive Camp in Minnesota for 28 days. Last summer, he went to John Azevedo’s camp and stayed for five weeks.”

Busch said his various summer stops, including one at the Olympic Training Center in Squaw Valley, N.Y., last summer, helped him build a foundation of technique and intangibles.

“The J Robinson camp took my mental durability to a new ballgame,” Busch said. “And I got a mixed back of tricks at Squaw Valley. And the Squaw Valley camp helped develop my attitude.”

Busch said his development received a boost his junior year when standout Tucker Armstrong, an Ohio state champion in 2007-08, transferred to CdM for one season.

“Tucker beat me to a pulp and really opened my eyes,” Busch said of last season’s 130-pound Pacific Coast League champion. “He made me realize what guys who compete at the state and national level do to train and how they go at it.”

Almquist saw Busch grow during his practice sessions with Armstrong.

“Once a week, Tucker would beat Danny within an inch of his life,” said Almquist, who also credited assistants Ryan Montgomery, Taylor Alston and Daniel Hyman for bolstering Busch’s development.

Busch finished third in league at 145 pounds last season, but held much higher goals heading into this season.

“My whole wrestling career, I’ve had one thing in mind: to win a state title,” Busch said.

Busch said Almquist, and wrestling in general, have helped him become a better athlete, student and person.

“Coach Almquist has given me great confidence in myself,” the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week said. “Every year, we set goals and we have state in mind. He has never changed his goal for me since my freshman year when I was doing horrible, when I did horrible as a sophomore, and when I was horrible as a junior.”

Once a magnet for trouble, Busch has, many have observed, matured greatly since becoming a wrestler.

“Life is wrestling,” Busch said. “It’s about being competitive and overcoming obstacles. [Before wrestling,] I was not as motivated to do anything. And I definitely didn’t have much self-esteem. You’ve got to be hungry in life and you have to want to set high standards for yourself.”

Almquist said Busch’s progress has been remarkable, on an off the mat.

“Where he is now, from where he was as an eighth-grader, you wouldn’t even recognize him,” said Almquist, who, like Busch himself, has high expectations for the competition ahead.

“I expect Danny to be in the [Coastal Division] final,” Almquist said. “I know he has the potential to be in the top nine at Masters [in Temecula, which would mean a trip to the state tournament in Bakersfield].

Busch said he would like to wrestle in college, but he would realistically need to advance to the state meet, and possibly place there, to generate interest from collegiate programs.

But to reach his dreams, Busch isn’t afraid to crush the hopes of others.

“I had a lot of close matches last year; a lot of overtime matches,” Busch said. “Comparing that to this year, this year is a lot more fun. Knowing I can go in there and mentally break some people and see people diminish when I am wrestling them.

“ ... You want to leave a person completely beaten and broken. There is no greater feeling.”